Uniform cap



Jlme 5, 1951 H LEV 2,555,348

UNIFORM CAP Filed Jan. 19, 1949 INVENTOR. fil/jy Le# Patented June 5,1951 UITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a uniform cap having a frame whereon may betted a removable cover. More particularly the present improvements areconcerned with a frame which s molded from plastic material with specialprovision for ventilation, for the mounting of threaded sockets to whichthe ends of a strap may be secured, for support at the front of agrommet over which the cap cover is removably fitted, and for certainother features as will hereinafter be disclosed in detail. A cap havingsuch a construction is advantageous in the respects that it is light,flexible, long-lived, requires fewer parts in its assembly, andotherwise is well suited to meet the requirements usually encountered inservice.

A suggestive'embodiment of this 'invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing where-S m:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the cap frame per se;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the cap;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The uniform cap here shown comprises a molded plastic frame in the formof a band 65 having outwardly extended beads 66 and 6l at its top andbottom and a visor joined integrally therewith at the fr ont. In thisconstruction, however, the frame band 65 is of open character, hereshown as of latticework pattern with many openings therethrough. Such aframe makes for decreased weight, greater flexibility, and enhancedventilation. In the front of the open frame its openings are closed toprovide a solid section, as at 68, through the region which starts justrearwardly of each socket 12 and extends toward and across the front ofthe frame and upwardly to its top. The purpose of the solid section forthe band is twofold: (l) it provides a firm mounting for the two sockets12 to which a strap l5 may be affixed for extension across the front ofthe cap; and (2) it provides material at the cap front from which a pairof bars 18 may be outstruck inwardly of the band to provide means forsupporting a stay 80 in place.

This stay 80 is offset at 8| where it is forwardly extended over the topof the frame band with which it may engage, and then continues upwardlyand forwardly at 82 to support at its top end a grommet 83 which, asherein shown. is in the form of a tube made desirably of rubber or otherlike material. The stay 80 in its upper region is provided with anelongated slot 84 from whose top end is inwardly extended an upwardlycurved tongue 85 that lies below the grommet in supporting relationthereto and in cooperating relation with a pair of other tongues 85which are downwardly curved from the upper end of the stay (Fig. l). Thegrommet which is exe tended between these several tongues is engagedthereby to be sustained in the position shown in Fig. 2.

In this construction each socket 'l2 is shown as assembled with theframe band after the molding operation has been completed. For thispurpose the socket is desirably provided with one or more splines 'lliextending parallel with its axis and adapted, when forced through anopening provided in the band for its reception, to cut a groove whichwill lock the socket non-rotatably therein, A flange 'F3 at the end ofthe socket abuts the inner face of the band to x the distance ofprojection of the socket beyond the outer face of the frame. A socket ofthis character, when thus frictionally fitted within the frame, can bedepended upon to remain in rlxedly assembled relation therewith. Eachsocket is adapted to receive therein a screw having an ornamental head'lll to engage one end of the strap 'l5 which extends across the frontof the cap in the usual manner.

As made clear from Fig, 3, it is possible to attach the sweat band 99 tothe frame in the special manner there shown, as by an adhesiveconnection 89 where there is mutual engagement in the lower portion ofeach. At the front, where the sweat band is extended past the two bars18, I may interpose a cushion pad 92 whereby to maintain the sweat bandspaced rearwardly of the bars to prevent any pressure therefrom beingtransferred to the forehead of the wearer. The cover 94 is removablyfitted over the frame 65 with its band 99 depending to surround theframe.

At the front an emblem 91 is secured in place as by passing its shank 98through an opening in the cover and through the slot Bft in the stay, anut 99 being then applied to the shank to complete the locking of theemblem in place.

The cap illustrated is distinctive in that its frame is produced from aplastic material with means integral therewith for restraining the coverband from vertical movement from its correct position when fitted aroundthe frame; it is provided also with an arched visor which is integralwith the frame to extend forwardly and downwardly therefrom at thefront. Such a visor need not be covered with fabric or other material,since the material chosen for the framevisor-combination may besufficiently attractive in appearance to be fully acceptable when fullyexposed to the View. Furthermore the plastic frame herein describedembodies the improved features of threaded sockets which are anchoredimmovably in place so that they cannot become lost; moreover suchsockets require no separate handling when the strap is applied in placeat the front of the cap. The inset bars at the front are integral withthe frame to provide a mounting in which the stay may be removablyplaced, thereby dispensing with any separate holder for this purpose andwith the assembly operation therefor. It will thus be observed that Ihave reduced considerably the number of parts which require assembly andhandling, thereby reducing and simplifying the operations required inmanufacture of the cap as well as the weight thereof.

I claim:

1. In a uniform cap, the combination of an endless frame of flexibleplastic material having an openwork pattern except in its frontalportion Where a solid section remains, a horizontal lbar outset inwardlyfrom the solid section of the frame in its frontal portion, an upwardlyextended Vstay having its lower end portion fitted against the framebetween its inner face and the bar and removably supported in placethereby, a grommet supported at the front by the stay at its upper end,and a cover having a band removably fitted to the frame and receivingthe groinmet at a point above said frame and being distended thereby.

2. In a uniform cap, the combination of an endless frame of flexibleplastic material having an openwork pattern except in its front andadjacent side portions along the lower margin thereof where acontinuously extending solid section remains, a stay upwardly extendedfrom the frame at the front, means releasably securing the stay to thesolid section of the frame at the front, a grommet supported at thefront by the stay at its upper end, strap fasteners secured to the solidsection of the frame upon opposite side por 4 tions thereof, and a coverhaving a band removably fitted to the frame exteriorly thereof to coverthe stay, said cover receiving the grommet at a point above the frameand being distended thereby.

3. In a uniform cap, the combination of an endless frame of exibleplastic material having an openwork pattern except in its front andadjacent side portions along the lower margin thereof where acontinuously extending solid section remains, strap fasteners secured tothe solid section of the frame upon opposite side portions thereof,beads outstanding from the frame adjacent its upper and lower margins, avisor joined integrally to the frame along its front and adjacent sideportions proximate to the lower margin thereof, a stay upwardly extendedfrom the frame at the front to support a resilient grommet thereon, acover having a band removably fitted to the frame exteriorly thereof andconned in place between the upper and lower beads of said frame to coverthe stay, said cover receiving the grommet at a point above the frameand being distended thereby, a strap extended exteriorly along the frontand adjacent side portions of the cap between the fasteners on theframe,4 and means traversing the strap at points oppositely of thefasteners for coaction therewith to secured the strap to the cap.

HARRY LEV.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,097,133 Lesser May 19, 19142,160,513 Pasternak May 30, 1939 2,331,545 Gano Oct. 12, 1943 2,393,270Schlesinger Jan. 22, 1946 2,445,230 Mattsson et al July 13, 19482,450,284 Lev Sept. 28, 1948

